Chapter 485: Talk it out or come on strong

The tower, seven stories high, stood on the south bank of Chaohu Lake.

Rather than a lake, it was, in fact, a vast expanse of endless wetlands.

From the tower, one could see the water sparkling, islands scattered like stars, and numerous birds soaring over the sandbars, a scene brimming with life.

As such, Chaohu Tower was always bustling with tourists, all leisure-seekers ascending to enjoy the panoramic views.

Upon ascending the tower, He Lingchuan subtly frowned:

Not only were there throngs of tourists, but a teahouse had even been established on the fourth floor!

Here, visitors could enjoy tea and the view, listen to storytelling, or meet friends. Sitting at a table, they would feel the cool breeze from the lake, which seemed to dissipate half of July's heat.

Due to the comfort, all ten tables were fully occupied, with no vacancies.

No wonder Mr. Mai conducted his business here; the constant flow of tourists and teahouse patrons provided the perfect cover.

He Lingchuan then recalled the content he had deciphered.

It only specified the time and location but mentioned no passphrase for the rendezvous.

This meant Mr. Mai and the other party knew each other, so no passphrase was needed for identification.

This complicated matters; impersonation was not an option.

Furthermore, if the other party didn't find Mr. Mai here, they would realize something was wrong and likely leave quickly.

How could he accurately identify Mr. Mai's accomplice among so many tourists?

"My lord?" the Bailiff of Baishajue asked, seeing him stare blankly at the scenery outside the tower for a long time.

"Is this tower always so crowded?"

"Uh, yes, it's one of the local famous attractions," the Bailiff of Baishajue replied, thinking He Lingchuan was interested in sightseeing. "The tea cakes in this teahouse are quite exceptional locally; many people buy them to take home as gifts."

"Have them add a table on the veranda for us to have tea."

The shop owner indeed set up a square table for them on the outer veranda of the pagoda's fourth floor and served them tea, fruit, and snacks.

The tea cakes were good, but He Lingchuan preferred the dried sweet potato. These were made from small sweet potatoes, peeled, steamed three times, and roasted three times, making them fragrant, sweet, soft, and chewy—perfect for enjoying with tea and conversation.

The Bailiff of Baishajue, who had arrived feeling apprehensive, visibly relaxed upon seeing He Lingchuan's pleasant demeanor and absence of the previous day's harshness, becoming doubly attentive.

He Lingchuan's initial approach yesterday was surely to put the bailiff in his place. Otherwise, an old hand in officialdom like him would assume He Lingchuan, being young, could be easily imposed upon and would feign compliance while acting contrary.

Today, however, it was not suitable to be harsh again. A little reassurance would make the Bailiff of Baishajue more compliant, ensuring his cooperation in future tasks.

These were all methods He Chunhua often used to manage subordinates, and He Lingchuan, having been by his side for years, had learned much.

Being an official, there are many subtleties to the profession.

Sitting there, with the breeze caressing his face and a vast panorama before him, his spirit felt unburdened.

Yet, in such a beautiful setting, there were always those who would mar it.

He Lingchuan slowly sipped his tea, wondering how likely it was that Fu Songhua, whom Zhongsun Mou had arrested, was the real culprit.

However, there had been no news about Mr. Mai; it seemed he was still at large.

If Fu Songhua was the mastermind, the transaction at Chaohu Tower would naturally be canceled and not proceed.

If he wasn't, would Mr. Mai and the true mastermind have already escaped? In that case, the Chaohu Tower transaction couldn't take place either.

Considering all possibilities, there seemed to be no reason for this passphrase-dependent transaction to proceed, so why should he trouble himself?

Hmm, was that really the case?

He Lingchuan occasionally looked up and saw the magnificent tower body and intricate stone carvings, indicating significant labor during its construction. However, after prolonged exposure to wind and sun, a large stone slab had fallen off above, revealing the plaster beneath.

He pointed upward, "That's not very aesthetically pleasing."

The Bailiff of Baishajue looked up and exclaimed, "Oh dear, we intended to send people to repair it, but old General Ling said he wished to donate for its restoration. Yet, he has been slow to act, which is why it looks like this."

He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "A famous landmark like this, with countless tourists daily, shouldn't be left in such a state. It's neither attractive nor safe."

"Yes, indeed, yes, indeed," the Bailiff of Baishajue agreed, unsure of He Lingchuan's intentions but feeling compelled to echo his sentiments.

"Isn't this special envoy being a bit too nosy? So young, yet so many concerns."

He Lingchuan merely mentioned it in passing and didn't delve deeper, instead beginning to ask about local customs and specialties.

Just as the atmosphere finally became more relaxed, He Lingchuan seemed to casually mention, "By the way, what has the Imperial Inspector been doing these past few days?"

"He's probably investigating a case?" the bailiff mused. "I heard he's turned down many visits and banquets."

Three days later, Zhongsun Mou prepared to depart north.

Someone else requested an audience from outside, and he let out an exasperated sigh.

The person was delivering documents, a thick stack of them.

Zhongsun Mou gestured for a guard to take them, then said, "Don't keep running over here; it draws too much attention."

"This is the last batch of materials. My master wishes you a smooth journey."

Having no choice, Zhongsun Mou piled the documents onto his desk and began examining them one by one.

Before returning to Lingxu City, he had to ensure these accounts were flawless, without the slightest error.

Fu Songhua had been apprehended six days ago. The safest course of action would have been to immediately escort him north to avoid further complications.

But he couldn't.

He had to meticulously review the evidence here, word by word!

Once back in Lingxu City, this evidence would be scrutinized repeatedly by countless discerning eyes, and might even be presented before the Emperor. The mere thought of this filled him with immense pressure.

Both the person and the evidence were being taken back by him, Zhongsun Mou. He had to ensure that nothing went wrong, or else...

His eyes ached from reading. Just as he was about to ask for another cup of cassia seed tea, a guard reported:

"Prince's Special Envoy He Xiao and the Bailiff of Baishajue request an audience!"

Zhongsun Mou's expression shifted. That young man had finally arrived.

He had long known that this so-called Prince's Special Envoy was also in Baishajue but had ignored him. It turned out the other party was patient, waiting until now to seek him out.

Zhongsun Mou put away the case files, walked back into the courtyard, and said, "Let him in."

He Lingchuan strode in, accompanied by a fierce tiger, with the Bailiff of Baishajue following behind.

"Your view here isn't bad either; you can see the lake from the window."

"I'm very busy," Zhongsun Mou said, offering no pleasantries or friendly expression. "What do you want?"

"I hear Lord Zhongsun has performed a great service, apprehending the spy who killed the white-shouldered eagle messenger!" He Lingchuan said with a smile. "I had to rush over to see for myself."

This fellow had been sightseeing in Baishajue for the past few days; how could he claim to have 'rushed over'?" Zhongsun Mou sneered slightly. "Indeed, with the evidence conclusive and the culprit apprehended, the special envoy can now return and report to the Crown Prince."

"Then I must ask, what is the true identity of this culprit?" Even if Fu Songhua wasn't the actual killer in the messenger case, he must have some background. Otherwise, how could Zhongsun Mou present this person to Lingxu City as the culprit and expect them to be convinced?

If he dared to just grab some random person to take the blame, he'd see how the Emperor would deal with him.

"Fu Songhua, a native of Tao, was promoted to minor commander under Hong Chenglüe twelve years ago. He was brave in battle and escaped after assassinating Zhang Guangyi, the Governor of Lingxu Hez State, ten years ago. Hez State had sought him for years without success, until he was finally apprehended here six days ago."

Hearing the name of an old acquaintance, He Lingchuan asked in surprise, "Judging by his past, he was just an assassin. How did he become a spy now?"

Given that He Lingchuan still held the title of Prince's Special Envoy and Zhongsun Mou was on Chiyan territory, he suppressed his impatience and said, "He was originally a Tao Kingdom spy, and assassinating Governor Zhang back then was also a mission. You wouldn't know the affairs of Lingxu City's royal court, but Zhang Guangyi's death had a huge impact at the time, directly altering the Emperor's decisions. This time, Fu Songhua, after years of lying low, made his move again specifically to disrupt our army's operations on the eastern front."

"He is Mr. Mai's superior?"

"Precisely."

"How was this verified?"

Zhongsun Mou couldn't help but chuckle. "I have collected a complete set of irrefutable evidence here, as solid as a mountain. Do I need to report it to you item by item, page by page?"

"That would work too," He Lingchuan said, his gaze darting toward the study. "That would be ideal."

Zhongsun Mou's smile faded. "Alright, Special Envoy, no more jokes. The prisoner has confessed, and the case files have been sealed and cannot be opened lightly. There's no point in you standing here; go back and report the good news to Fu Shanyue to claim your reward."

He Lingchuan also spoke seriously, "If Fu's motive for killing the messenger was merely to delay intelligence, then what was the purpose of him sending his subordinate, Mr. Mai, to kill demons and extract their pearls across Chiyan?"

"To sow discord between the demon clans and the government, and incite trouble—that's just what spies do. What else would they do when idle? If you stayed in Beijia a bit longer, you'd realize these fellows are truly pervasive, finding every way to stir up chaos," Zhongsun Mou said calmly. "Those pearls are ingredients for refining the Scarlet Jade Pills and will also be submitted as evidence to Lingxu City this time."

"Scarlet Jade Pills? Weren't the pearls used to refine elixirs of immortality?" He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "Lord Zhongsun has solved a monumental case with such ease; impressive. However, the Crown Prince wants me to personally interrogate the main culprit. Where is Fu Songhua?"

"Fu Songhua is to be escorted back to Lingxu City for trial. From now on, he is no concern of yours."

Footsteps seemed to be approaching from outside, many of them. Zhongsun Mou immediately sensed something was wrong. He stepped back, and his guards instantly moved forward, hands on their sword hilts.

"If we can't negotiate, then let's show our cards," He Lingchuan signaled Jiao Yu, and the fierce tiger suddenly let out a massive roar!

The tiger's roar echoed for ten miles. Immediately, over a hundred people rushed into the courtyard from outside, surrounding Zhongsun Mou and his men.

Outside, there were further clattering sounds, the thud of heavy boots on the ground, indicating a large number of people awaiting orders.

A general strode in and saluted He Lingchuan. "Special Envoy!"

These were Chiyan's troops stationed thirty li outside Baishajue. When Jiao Yu went out on business, he conveniently used the special envoy's token to requisition them.

Not many, only five hundred men were borrowed.

Fu Shanyue had said earlier that the token could mobilize the army.

This was certainly no idle boast.

Suddenly, tensions flared between the two sides. The Bailiff of Baishajue, caught directly in the middle, was drenched in sweat. "My lords, please, let's talk this through properly!"

He couldn't afford to offend either side. Why had it come to this?

What terrible luck had he stumbled into? Why had his fortune been so poor lately?

The door of a side room opened, and two startled guards poked their heads out, both surprised to see the standoff.

"Go back!" Zhongsun Mou roared.

The guards obeyed, closing the door, but they were a step too late. The fierce tiger sprang forward, and with a single swipe of its paw, tore through the door panel.

This was an inn, not a fortress wall; how could a wooden door offer such high defense?

Against the three-thousand-jin force of the tiger demon's paw, the door was remarkably resilient for not instantly shattering into splinters.